Library Seeks Bids to Turn a New Leaf

Blount County, TN, is seeking contractors to repaint its modern 64,000-square-foot public library in Maryville.

Bids are due Feb 27. Work is expected to take place between April 18 and April 21; the library will be closed to accommodate the project.

Interior Painting Project

The interior wall surfaces, doorframes, and interior windows of the Blount County Public Library are to be painted with commercial-grade, interior latex paint matched to the existing paint colors, according to project documents. Work will exclude the basement.

Surface preparation of the walls is required and may include removing excess mortar or dirt.

Contractors will be required to move any furniture, including bookshelves, to access the walls for painting. However, Blount County shall be responsible for removal of any pictures and other small objects obstructing the wall.

About the Library

Built in May 2002, the Blount County Public Library is a 64,000-square-foot building featuring facilities for meetings, conferences, study groups and socializing. It also houses a Bookmark Café.

The exterior of the building is brick, marble and aluminum, locally sourced in Blount County, according to a description of the project by MHM Architects. A key design feature is a clock tower with lantern that denotes the importance of this community center as a landmark, the architect said.

The library services Blount County’s population of nearly 125,000 residents.

The modern library services Blount County’s population of nearly 125,000 residents.

According to a local news report on the history of the library system, the original 3,000-square-foot A.K. Harper Memorial Library was built in 1931. In 1981, a new library was constructed to meet the demands for materials and services, the report said.

Just over 20 years later, the area’s growing population and library service needs outgrew that location’s 19,500-square-foot space, and the current facility was constructed, the report added.

Reported by Paint BidTracker, a construction reporting service devoted to identifying contracting opportunities for the coatings community.